It was a fascinating evening. On one side was Bishen Singh Bedi and on the other was Ravichandran Ashwin. The Legend was meeting the protégé thanks to the Times of India. I enjoyed steering the conversation as much as the 400 odd present enjoyed listening to them while sipping into their leisurely evening drink at the prestigious Tollygunge Club in Kolkata.

Excerpts from the discussion:

Boria - Bishenji you have never held yourself back. Now here's someone who according to me is the future of Indian spin bowling. What's your estimation of Ravi Ashwin? Firstly, does he chuck?

Bishen Bedi - We should begin on a more positive note. (laughs) More seriously speaking his action is perfectly fine. He has a free flowing action and delivery stride. Now he has mastered the carom ball and knuckle ball and I think they are both very legitimate inventions. I absolutely think Ashwin is very good news for Indian cricket. My only concern is that he plays all formats of the game and that demands a lot from a cricketer. I want him to balance his workload so that he can serve Indian cricket for a long time with distinction.

Boria - Ash, what does Bishen Bedi mean to you?

Ashwin - Before I answer that, to sit on the same stage with the legend and hear him say Ashwin is good news for Indian cricket is kind of unbelievable. I am overwhelmed. It is actually giving me goose bumps.

Bishen Bedi - Tell me about the knuckle ball and the carom ball. How did you master these?

Ashwin - I used to play a lot of tennis ball cricket in Chennai. The tennis ball circuit is really vibrant in Chennai, so much so that Laxmi Balaji was once kidnapped by one of the teams to ensure he couldn't play the final. He was abducted and released after the final. In one of my first games in the circuit I was completely foxed by a bowler who was bowling the knuckle ball. I tried to hit him and the ball went straight up in the air. I remember going up to him and asking him what he was doing. Then while playing first class cricket there came a stage when I wasn't getting big wicket hauls. W V Raman, our coach, wanted me to try something different. As I was contemplating what more to do, it was my dad who first asked me if I had mastered the knuckle ball from the tennis ball circuit and if I did I should try it at the first class level? I spoke to Raman and he asked me to practice in the nets without disturbing the batsmen. It took me two years to perfect the two deliveries. Now I can bowl them reasonably confidently.

Ashwin - Sir, did you guys enjoy the game more than we did? Did you play for the fun of the game? This is something I am really intrigued by.

Bishen Bedi - Look we did play cricket to enjoy the game. Everyone at a certain point played it because they enjoy playing it. But it then changes from being mere enjoyment to a profession. In our days we did not get much money for playing and the fun element was perhaps more. I remember a match in the 1950s when the Indian team had beaten New Zealand. The players would then get 250 rupees a match or 50 rupees a day. Because India had won under 4 days the BCCI deducted the 50 rupees for Day 5. Now it is a lot more professional for your boys. I am glad it is because that's how it should be.

When asked who is the best batsman he has played with or bowled to Bishen Bedi was clear it had to be Sir Garfield Sobers and also went on to say that Sunil Gavaskar is the best ever Indian opening batsman he has seen. Ashwin on the other hand mentioned Sir Viv Richards as the one batsman from the yesteryears he'd have loved to bowl to.

Finally, I asked both Bishenji and Ashwin if playing for India ever resulted in pressure which they found difficult to handle and both offered very similar answers:

Ashwin - Without pressure there is no point playing the game. You want pressure to be there for it encourages you to play better and give it your all for your country. I enjoy the fact that the country wants something from me for that's why I wear the Indian cap.

Bishen Bedi - There's pressure at every stage in life. You need to be able to deal with pressure to be successful. That's for everyone and all professions. Playing for India is the best thing to have happened to me. It has given me an identity. I enjoyed the pressure that came with the job.